In December 2019, a novel pneumonia caused by a previously unknown pathogen emerged in Wuhan, China. The pathogen was soon identified as a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which is closely related to severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, leading to a major global public health threat. Many COVID-19 patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) leading to death. The recent RECOVERY Trial demonstrated the success of dexamethasone in treating late-stage COVID-19 patients. However, use of dexamethasone increases mortality in the early stage of the disease, and dexamethasone is further limited because the therapeutic dose and duration is insufficient to safely and effectively treat most COVID-19 patients. As the majority of cells have glucocorticoid receptors to which dexamethasone binds, highly toxic doses would be needed to effectively treat COVID-19, which results in increased mortality as well as decreased natural immunity (via T-cell and other immune cell modulation). The investigational product 101-PGC-005 ('005) - a prodrug of dexamethasone that is targeted to only activated macrophages - will address the many safety and efficacy issues that limit dexamethasone. '005 can achieve much higher anti-inflammatory doses and avoid all undesirable immunosuppressive activities caused by standard dexamethasone administration, resulting in an even greater reduction in mortality among hospitalized patients and significantly reducing long term morbidity in patients who survive.
This prospective Phase IIa study will evaluate the safety of '005 for moderate to severe COVID-19 disease along with Standard of Care (SOC) treatment. The Nineteen (19) eligible patients will be enrolled to receive '005 + SOC, 10 additional patients will be enrolled to a control group receiving the SOC together with placebo. At the first open-label stage, 3+3+3 design will be implemented. Three (3) patients will be enrolled to receive 10mg '005 together with SOC, three (3) patients will receive 20mg'005 together with SOC, and three (3) patients will receive 30mg '005 together with SOC if no safety concerns are identified the second stage will be initiated. At the second double blind stage neither the participants nor the investigator will know which treatment participants are receiving until the clinical trial is over \[20 patients will be enrolled and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the treatment (SOC +'005) or placebo group (SOC + placebo)\]. The treatment dose will be chosen based on the first stage safety results. NOTE: '005 will be administered daily for three (3) consecutive days starting from the day of enrollment. Standard of Care will be administered as long as required, per Investigator's judgment, institutional practice, or local, national, or international guidelines for COVID-19 management. A screening period of up to 7 days (Day-7 to Day-1) prior to enrollment will be followed by a study period of 28 days. Patients will be administered '005 daily from Day-1 to Day 3. Total duration of study participation will not exceed 35 days.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
3
Three consecutive days of '005 administration
Three consecutive days of placebo administration
The COVID-19 Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus
Haifa, Israel
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 2.
Evaluate the incidence of steroid-induced hyperglycemia Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG).
Time frame: At day 2
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 3.
Evaluate the incidence of steroid-induced hyperglycemia Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG).
Time frame: At day 3
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 4.
Evaluate the incidence of steroid-induced hyperglycemia Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG).
Time frame: At day 4
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 10.
Evaluate the incidence of steroid-induced hyperglycemia Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG).
Time frame: At day 10
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 2.
Evaluate the incidence of vital signs abnormality (i.e., pulse, oxygen saturation and blood pressure).
Time frame: At day 2
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 3.
Evaluate the incidence of vital signs abnormality (i.e., pulse, oxygen saturation and blood pressure).
Time frame: At day 3
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 4.
Evaluate the incidence of vital signs abnormality (i.e., pulse, oxygen saturation and blood pressure).
Time frame: At day 4
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment at day 10.
Evaluate the incidence of vital signs abnormality (i.e., pulse, oxygen saturation and blood pressure).
Time frame: At day 10
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate the incidence of vital signs abnormality (i.e., pulse, oxygen saturation and blood pressure).
Time frame: At day 28
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate the incidence of clinically significant changes in the blood CBC, and biochemistry.
Time frame: At day 2
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate the incidence of clinically significant changes in the blood CBC, and biochemistry.
Time frame: At day 3
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate the incidence of clinically significant changes in the blood CBC, and biochemistry.
Time frame: At day 4
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate the incidence of clinically significant changes in the blood CBC, and biochemistry.
Time frame: At day 10
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate the incidence of clinically significant changes in the blood CBC, and biochemistry.
Time frame: At day 28
To assess the safety of '005 in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients with Standard of Care treatment.
Evaluate incidence of Adverse Events/Serious Adverse Events (AEs/SAEs) according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) thru the study.
Time frame: At 28 days
The 28 days discharge rate.
Comparison of 28 days discharge rate.
Time frame: At 28 days
COVID-19 severity improvement by MOH COVID-19 severity scale while in hospital, and at days 10 and 28 if discharged.
COVID-19 severity improvement by MOH COVID-19 severity scale while in hospital, and at days 10 and 28 if discharged .
Time frame: At 10 days
COVID-19 severity improvement by MOH COVID-19 severity scale while in hospital, and at days 10 and 28 if discharged.
COVID-19 severity improvement by MOH COVID-19 severity scale while in hospital, and at days 10 and 28 if discharged .
Time frame: At 28 days
Reduction in inflammatory blood markers.
Reduction in CRP, or Ferritin levels at days 10 and 28.
Time frame: At 10 days
Reduction in inflammatory blood markers.
Reduction in CRP, or Ferritin levels at days 10 and 28.
Time frame: At 28 days
Improvement of COVID-19 symptoms.
Improvement in 1 or more COVID-19 symptoms severity from baseline (temperature, rate PaO2/FiO2, Mechanical ventilation or not mechanical ventilation) at days 10 or 28.
Time frame: At day 28
Improvement of COVID-19 symptoms.
Improvement in 1 or more COVID-19 symptoms severity from baseline (temperature, rate PaO2/FiO2, Mechanical ventilation or not mechanical ventilation) at days 10 or 28.
Time frame: At day 10
Time to Saturation ≥94% on Room Air
Time to Saturation ≥94% on Room Air at day 10
Time frame: At day 10
Time to Saturation ≥94% on Room Air
Time to Saturation ≥94% on Room Air at day 28.
Time frame: At day 28
Blood evaluation for '005 PK.
Evaluation of '005 kinetics in the blood at Day 1: at baseline 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 24hr post dose
Time frame: At day 1: at baseline 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 24hr post dose
Blood evaluation for '005 PK.
Evaluation of '005 kinetics in the blood at Day 3: at baseline 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 24hr post dose
Time frame: At day 3: at baseline 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 24hr post dose
Changes from baseline in pro-inflammatory cytokines and Lymphocyte subtypes.
Changes from baseline in pro-inflammatory cytokines and Lymphocyte subtypes at Day 4 and 10.
Time frame: At day 4
Changes from baseline in pro-inflammatory cytokines and Lymphocyte subtypes.
Changes from baseline in pro-inflammatory cytokines and Lymphocyte subtypes at Day 4 and 10.
Time frame: At day 10
Correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines and change in COVID-19 symptoms
Correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines and change in COVID-19 symptoms at Day 4.
Time frame: At day 4
Correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines and change in COVID-19 symptoms
Correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines and change in COVID-19 symptoms at Day 10.
Time frame: At day 10
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